It’s been somewhat fascinating to me to see how tech companies have managed to continue that over the years. It was always inevitable that phones were going to plateau in power increases the same way that PCs did back in the 2000s. Since then most people have been content keeping their computer for 6 to 10 years, but the same has not been true for phones. Somehow, through software trickery and planned obsolescence tech companies have managed to convince people that their phones are worthless at two years old. It makes me a little worried for our ARM based computing future though, I definitely see at least one section of the tech community that really really wants the future of PCs to look a lot like phones and tablets do now.

I'm pretty bad about that.

I didn't think I was, but I am.

I recently sat down and tried to remember all the phones I've had, and wrote them down.

I had a number of flip phones over the years, but I only remember the dates roughly starting with my first android phone. That was 2010.

I've had 9 phones in 16 years. New phone roughly every 2 years. This is despite the fact that I kept my OG Samsung Note for like 4 years. This was BEFORE extended support cycles, so it only got like it's original version and like, one more. So I feel l dragged it into the future with custom roms. Those were good days.

But also I had to a Nexus 6 when I first started with project Fi, because my one plus one wasn't supported. The 6 sucked, so when the pixel came out I jumped ship immediately.

I was siren-songed into the pixel 2 with a gratuitous trade in.

Then I got the 4a on steep discount when the charging port on my 2 got flaky.

Then I got the 6.

Then there was a stupid good deal on the Samsung flip 5, literally $300, brand new, so even though my 6 was fine, I had to take the opportunity to experience a folding screen.

I used the flip 5 for 2 years, 6 months, and some change. And I'd still be using it now, if it had lived. All the flipping broke a wire inside, and it died.

So I went back to my 6, and you know what? It was great. Worked great. I vowed to use it until it died, I don't need no stinking new phone when there's no point anymore.

Then a month later something broke with the antenna or something, signal randomly comes and goes, calls drop, data drops. I'll go from full 5g to a dead zone. Restarting the phone does nothing. I've been fighting it for weeks, customer support, everything. No dice.

So now I need a new phone. And I hate it.

A lot of us still have old plans with free upgrades. Some great grandfathered T-Mobile and sprint plans out there.

Can even maximize gains by buying a used low end phone for the trade in and sell the old iPhone on eBay.